Dogs Of War Vu

Sim/Strategy/War => Games Discussion => Topic started by: Asid on July 07, 2016, 06:22:02 AM

Title: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on July 07, 2016, 06:22:02 AM
Empires Apart

Website: http://empiresapart.net
Forums:  http://empiresapart.net/forums
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/empiresapart
Facebook: http://facebook.com/empiresapart

https://youtu.be/S24KnZ1n7Ao

About
Empires Apart is an old-school Real Time Strategy game set in medieval times. It aims to recapture the excitement and wonder of collecting resources, building an army and raising to victory. With focus on competitive online play, Empires Apart brings the classic real time strategy gameplay to the modern age.

Gameplay Overview
Empires Apart is a throwback to old school isometric medieval RTSs. Games are played on a random generated map where each player picks a Civilization, gathers four types of resources (food, wood, stone, gold) in order to build an army big enough to crush his opponent.

(http://empiresapart.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/EmpiresApart_InGame_Screenshot01.jpg)

Each Civilization in Empires Apart will feel unique and should be played differently by the player. Each Civilization will have substantially different buildings and units, while keeping the same overall archetypes throughout the game. Civilization bonuses, team bonuses and unique units are thrown away in favour of a truly unique design for each Civilization. Taking a hint from MMORPGs or MOBAs, each Civilization is designed to fit a particular role in a team based game. Each Civilization is designed to be a Rush, Boom or Support type of Civilization. After choosing a Civilization, the player can choose one of two or more Variants. These Variants will keep the Civilization likeness and units roughly the same but will change the way the Civilization plays by favouring certain aspects over others (eg. one variant might have improved cavalry but weaker navy and another variant might have improved navy but weaker cavalry). These Variants are classifiable under the same types as Civilizations do and can therefore alter the potential roles that a Civilization might play in a team based game (eg. a Boom type Civilization might have a Support variant, creating a Boom/Support hybrid).

(http://empiresapart.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/EmpiresApart_Screenshot01.jpg)

After choosing a Civilization and a Variant, the player can choose one of two or more Heroes. Heroes are special units that can be created in a Town Center or other important buildings. A player can only create one Hero per game. Once killed, the Hero is gone for the rest of the game. A Hero is a historically relevant figure that behaves unlike any other unit in the game, having access to unique passive and active abilities. Understanding how to use Heroes can turn the tides of a match. While each Civilization must be able to hold its own in a 1v1 scenario, Civilization Types, Variants and Heroes will allow them to excel in team-based games and create interesting team strategies.
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on August 04, 2017, 08:07:15 PM
Empires Apart heads into Beta!


Just over a year ago we announced the collaboration with DESTINYbit on their upcoming title Empires Apart (http://slitherine.com/products/product.asp?gid=675).

The game has the ambition to bring the feel of classic RTS games into the modern era and it’s the work of love of true fans of the genre. It’s been a long ride and the intervening months have been full of hard work. Now that we draw closer to release, the developer needs your help to fine tune, balance and bring the project to completion.


https://youtu.be/TTxSMZhEZZU


You can join in (http://slitherine.com/beta/cnda.asp?gid=675) and help us refine the game – your feedback is very important to us, and it will contribute to making the game even better. You will be joining a group of very active and dedicated alpha-testers who are already in love with the game.

 
"As a competitive RTS gamer, Empires Apart is a game I wouldn’t miss. Got hooked up playing just the alpha, imagine what will happen in the final game." – TheMista

"I am confident Empires Apart will be a great RTS game. All the signs are there that they will make a game worth playing, with dedicated developers, and actively getting community feedback from testers from a variety of backgrounds." – robo_boro

"Even in the early alpha stages of the game, I had moments where I've enjoyed playing Empires Apart more than Starcraft 2 at times." – ZertoN

 
Empires Apart (http://slitherine.com/products/product.asp?gid=675) is due to release this Fall on PC. Stay tuned, we’ll publish and reveal more about the game soon! Want to hear all news about the game? Sign up for our newsletter! (http://slitherine.com/products/product.asp?gid=675)
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on September 01, 2017, 05:18:56 PM
I have just started playing the beta......
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on October 07, 2017, 08:25:09 PM
Empires Apart Project Update

(http://www.matrixgames.com/files/spotlight/900_image.jpg)


https://youtu.be/U7hXxpft3jU

Gian Paolo Vernocchi, head of DESTINYbit, has a very important message for all of you who are waiting for Empires Apart.
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on February 08, 2018, 07:10:47 PM
Empires Apart - Live Preview on Twitch next week

(http://www.slitherine.com/files/spotlight/1020_image.jpg)

From Matrix/Slitherine

We have big news for all RTS fans: we will be streaming Empires Apart (http://slitherine.com/products/675/details/Empires.Apart) live for the first time ever.

The developers DESTINYbit will stream the game live themselves next week on Thursday February 15th at 8 pm GMT. Come and chat with them (and us) on our Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup). You can ask us anything and we will answer your questions as best as we can. Most importantly, we will show you everything about the game.

We are making great progress in the development also thanks to the several thousands people in the beta who provided us with invaluable feedback. We're very excited - we're very close to the mark now, so expect further news soon, during our stream and in the following weeks. Stay tuned, and see you all next week on Thursday on our Twitch channel (http://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup).
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on February 15, 2018, 04:33:07 PM
Empires Apart will be released on March 29th!

(http://www.slitherine.com/files/spotlight/1029_image.jpg)

Legions of RTS fans have been keeping their eyes on Empires Apart (http://slitherine.com/products/product.asp?gid=675) since it was first announced.

It has been in closed Beta since September 2017 and the developers from DESTINYbit have been working hard to make it the RTS game they always wanted to play. After collecting the invaluable feedback of several thousand testers who took part in the Beta, we’re now getting closer and closer to release.


Empires Apart - Trailer

https://youtu.be/K_MgTbgUI1Q

Published on Feb 15, 2018


The day that real-time strategy players have been waiting for is drawing near: Empires Apart will be released on March 29th!

To keep you busy until then we will release and publish lots of information and materials about the game. We’ll start later today, at 8 pm GMT, when the developers themselves will stream the game live from our Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup). Come and ask anything you would like to know.

One last thing: in case you’re in London this weekend, don’t miss the chance to play Empires Apart yourselves. Come visit us at the PC Gamer Weekender (http://weekender.pcgamer.com/), talk with us and meet the developers. We’ll be more than happy to answer all your questions.
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on February 21, 2018, 11:36:53 PM
Empires Apart - Byzantines preview Stream

(http://www.slitherine.com/files/spotlight/1036_image.jpg)

From Slitherine: Last week we streamed the game for the first time on our Twitch channel.
 
The developers from DESTINYbit showed the game live, but you can watch it now on our YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-VfFnL8BBY

Tomorrow on Thursday February 22nd DESTINYbit will stream Empires Apart again. This time it'll be centered on the Byzantines faction: their special mechanics, their playstyle, their units, strengths and weaknesses and the tactics you need to employ to win.
 
Come watch the Byzantines stream on our Twitch channel https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup on February 22nd at 8 pm GMT!
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on February 23, 2018, 01:04:23 PM
Empires Apart Dev Diary - The Game Modes

From Slitherine:

When we started developing Empires Apart (http://slitherine.com/products/product.asp?gid=675), we knew we wanted to create the game that we have always wanted to play.

We took inspiration from our favourite games, and then we thought: “How can we build on these?”. We started to think on what other cool things we could add, what we could change and what we could improve.

 One of our goals with Empires Apart was to add more variety in Game modes. Something we really wanted to do was to provide new ways to play the game. But first it was essential to create a really strong Skirmish mode.


(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Empires%20Apart/1.jpg)

Skirmish in Empires Apart offers huge replayability value.

Select your Civ, and then the Hero you want to use. Each Civ has Heroes, and each Hero has different strengths and abilities. Then, select the number of Opponents that you would like to face, up to 8. You can, of course, assign them to different Teams or set different Difficulty levels.

Then, you can select between eight different map types, as well as 4 different map sizes. You can set a Population cap (100, 200 or 300) and decide on Visibility settings: you can start with a completely explored map and you can even disable the fog of war.

What we truly love are the game modes we added for Skirmish.


Our main game mode is Conquest. In this mode the objective is to destroy all of your opponents’ Town Centers. If they’re not able to rebuild a Town Center within the time limit, you win the game. This was done to give you a clear objective even in “normal” games and shorten the length of games. No more pesky villagers hidden in the corners of the map!

The next mode you can play is Assassination. Every player starts with their chosen Hero, and the goal is to kill all the other enemy heroes. Use all the means at your disposal to eliminate them!

Then you can play Diplomacy. During the course of a game, you can send Alliance offers to other players. Should they accept, you will then be allied, your units won’t fight each other, and you can win the game together. But be careful, they might decide to break the alliance and betray you at any moment!

It gets even better in Assassination with Diplomacy. You need to kill enemy Heroes to win, and you can forge alliances with other factions. Expect lots of intrigue, ambushes and backstabbing.

We also added a completely different way to play the game. Survival. In Survival the goal is to survive as long as you can. By day you will be looking to boost your economy, expand with new buildings, recruit new units… because at night you will be attacked by an ever increasing number of enemies. These can be from any Civ and will attack from all directions. The longer you survive, the harder it gets.

There is also another mode that you can play in Empires Apart: Challenges. Every Civilization has a number of Challenges you can test yourself with. They are situations designed so that they require both problem solving and mechanical skill in order to be completed. They are a great way to learn and master the gameplay mechanics specific to every civilization.


(https://media.giphy.com/media/x47mHPk6K4AufwrTbr/giphy.gif)
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on February 26, 2018, 08:16:45 PM
China preview stream on Twitch this Thursday!
Empires Apart - Alberto

Last Thursday we showed the Byzantines and how they play in Empires Apart.

We'll continue with our preview streams this week, and with a special guest...

(http://cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/30231655/dca05b1738eed136f54ec3c747287cd623118286.jpg)

General Agrippa Maxentius returns to the battlefield. He will lead the Chinese civilization and show you their unique mechanics: expect lots of crossbowmen, snipers, explosives, flamethrowers and even Shaolin monks!

Don't miss the stream on Thursday March 1st at 8 pm GMT on our Twitch channel. https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on March 06, 2018, 07:14:38 PM
Empires Apart - France Preview Stream

(http://slitherine.com/files/spotlight/1048_image.jpg)

Another week, another preview live stream of Empires Apart (http://slitherine.com/products/product.asp?gid=675)!
 
We've already shown the Byzantines and the Chinese, so this time we'll move to mainland Europe, to a land of chivalry, castles, and maidens leading big armies. We're obviously talking of France.

Come see their mighty cavalry at work in our weekly Empires Apart stream. DESTINYbit will be streaming the game themselves on Thursday March 8th at 8 pm GMT on our Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup).
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on March 13, 2018, 01:39:21 PM
Empires Apart Dev Diary - The goal of the game

(http://slitherine.com/files/spotlight/1059_image.jpg)

AlbertoC

In our previous dev diaries we focused on the different available game modes (http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=452&t=82855), as well as the design behind the UI (http://www.slitherine.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=452&t=82953). Today we are going to cover a number of different subjects, but all have something in common: why we decided to make Empires Apart.

It’s no secret that we drew heavy inspiration from games that marked our childhood: Age of Empires, Empire Earth, and others. We wanted to bring back that feeling, the familiar atmosphere of games we loved, but also add our own touch, as well as modernize the formula, bring it to 2018’s standards. Empires Apart is, basically, the game we wanted to play.


Classic Gameplay with a Unique Twist

With Empires Apart we wanted to have fast, immediate and streamlined gameplay. It has always been our number one objective. When sitting down and starting Empires Apart for the first time everything should be familiar and immediate, easy to pick up, and every Empires Apart game should be a ride, an adrenaline rush, and it should always stay fresh and innovative.

We thought of how we could accomplish this.


Unique Civilizations

First off, we thought that each playable civilization should be completely unique.

Not only all of them have a completely different unit roster, architecture, technological tree, but they also get unique mechanics.

When modelling our playable civilizations we knew we wanted to be faithful to real history, the type of history that is sculpted in our collective imaginery, as if told around a campfire. What was important to us was to deliver the right mood. Each unit and building was named in their respective civilization’s medieval language. The same approach to history is shown in the unique mechanics.

For instance, the Mongols are one of the six playable civilizations in Empires Apart and they are completely nomadic. All their buildings are built by the Qara’utai Tergen, a special Settler unit that you can recruit in your Town Center. Depending on the size of the building, you might need one or more Settlers. At any point you can decide to unpack everything, dismantle the building, get your Settlers back and simply build something else, elsewhere, at no cost. This, alongside the fact that all Mongol units are on horseback gives the Mongols extreme mobility.

Or what to say of the Aztecs, whose units don’t evolve through technology, but rather through combat experience? They are also the only faction which can capture prisoners… and sacrifice them, in order to obtain bonuses and recruit Heroes.


(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Empires%20Apart/EA%202.png)
The Mongols are fast and strike hard where you least expect it.


Heroes

Which brings us to Heroes. The introduction of Heroes with special skills (both active and passive) affects gameplay greatly. The clever use of a skill can really change the outcome of a battle. When modelling heroes we once again tried be faithful to the spirit of history.

For instance, Belisarius was known for his guile and his stratagems: he was a true master of deception on the battlefield. In the game this is translated to him having a special skill which will summon a number of Varangian soldiers that you can control. They don’t actually deal any damage, nor can be harmed. They will just disappear after a few seconds. But that might be enough to deceive your enemies and keep them busy fighting imaginary Varangian troops while your real army hits elsewhere.


(http://www.matrixgames.com/amazon/Screenshots/Empires%20Apart/EA%203.png)
Under the vigil eye of Zhuge Liang the Chinese Overseers double their efforts.


Day and Night

There is a Day and Night cycle in Empires Apart! At night, your visibility will be reduced, alongside your field of view. You can use this to your advantage by arranging deadly ambushes: when your enemies spot you, it’ll be too late for them.

The Day / Night cycle becomes doubly important in Survival mode, as mentioned in a previous Dev diary. By Day you will be building and preparing, and by Night you will be swarmed by enemies coming from unexpected directions. Can you survive until the next dawn?


Competitive Multiplayer

It’s no mystery that we wanted to make a game suitable for online play.

Being competitive players ourselves and having collected the feedback from hundreds of RTS competitive players we knew what we wanted to implement in Empires Apart. In order to have a modern online experience we needed Ranked matchmaking, functional lobbies, a  Spectator mode, a Leaderboard and Seasons.

We have big plans to kickstart the competitive nature of Empires Apart, but we’ve written enough for today. Expect further news on this soon!

Furthermore, we're going to stream the Aztecs faction in an exclusive preview this Thursday at 8 pm GMT on our Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup)! Don't miss it!
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on March 21, 2018, 12:29:39 PM
Empires Apart - Mongols Live Preview on March 22nd

(http://slitherine.com/files/spotlight/1067_image.jpg)

Time for a new live faction preview of Empires Apart (http://slitherine.com/products/675/details/Empires.Apart).

This week we are going to showcase an entirely nomadic faction, one which strikes hard and unexpectedly, riding fast on the steppes: the Mongols.

Join us on our Twitch channel (https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup) at 8 pm GMT on Thursday March 22nd.
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on March 21, 2018, 12:36:15 PM
Empires Apart - A taste of the soundtrack

(http://slitherine.com/files/spotlight/1068_image.jpg)

We are very proud of how Empires Apart is shaping up. Years of hard work were put into it and it truly is a creation of love and passion.

The soundtrack is something which was very important for the developers from DESTINYbit. They looked for great composers to write the music for the game, to make it memorable and give it a great atmosphere.

They chose  Michael Gordon Shapiro (http://mikemusic.com/) (who also composed the music for the Empire Earth series) and  Sean Beeson (https://www.seanbeeson.com/) (who composed the main theme).

We asked Michael, who composed most of the soundtrack for Empires Apart, to tell us what it meant for him to write the music for the game.

 

Games are best musically approached as stories. The mechanics of gameplay — even mundane actions like upgrading troops or re-seeding farms — can be exciting if they’re part of a gripping narrative about specific places and people. Empires Apart gives us all the elements of a story: a central character (the player) with a strong goal (to build an enduring civilization from scratch) in the face of an obstacle (the accursed other civilizations, inconveniently nearby). There’s an easy-to-perceive narrative arc, from the relatively peaceful days of building first structures in the wilderness, to the bustle of a growing town, to the fear and triumph of locking horns with one’s hostile neighbors.

Our goal with the music was to emotionally support the player’s sense of being the main character in a historical epic. The civilization themes make playing as different nations feel like emotionally distinct experiences. The Aztec theme is tribal and visceral, whereas the music for the Byzantines is mournful and nostalgic. The music follows the arc of the narrative, from peaceful melodic ambiences during early gameplay to the blaring of drums and brass during heavy combat. And of course we musically reward the player’s triumphs, as well as express sympathy for the defeats. (There will be many of those.)

Project lead Gian Paolo Vernocchi is a fan of thematic scores that can stand on their own outside of their games. We hope you’ll enjoy Empires Apart's score both as accompaniment to your empire-building, as well as a pleasant listening experience on its own.

Michael Gordon Shapiro


 

We are happy to announce that the OST will be available on Steam as a separate DLC for the game. We think it is powerful and beautiful music, and we can't wait to hear what you think! And in case YOU can't wait, here's something for you to get a taste of it.


https://youtu.be/KFTVFs5iVTU



Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on March 29, 2018, 11:13:46 PM
Empires Apart is out!
Empires Apart - Alberto

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/30231655/91e1535524072eb8adb7f9a5d2f01c9001eb7514.jpg)

The day has come! Empires Apart is out!

Aztec warriors are ready for an ambush, eager to capture prisoners to sacrifice to their gods, while the powerful French cavalry is lined up, waiting to charge their foe. Ranks of Chinese spearmen are chasing nimble Mongol horse archers. General Belisarius rallies his kataphraktos while they are under heavy fire: a group of Arab naft throwers is unleashing hell on them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr6Pj6BJtDE

Empires Apart is all of this and more. It’s a fast-paced Real-Time Strategy game which has electrified old school players since it was first announced. The developers, DESTINYbit, followed a policy of Open development, frequently streaming as they worked, and involving the community as much as possible.

During its several months long beta Empires Apart has developed a large online community and fanbase, very active players willing to challenge each other in multiplayer. It is a very competitive game, and for this reason we prepared a Leaderboard so that you can check your position in Ranked anytime you want, as well as check who the best Empires Apart players are.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/30231655/be3491ab928a0ba71562b730e5771bc72565091d.jpg)
http://www.slitherine.com/leaderboards/ea_leaderboard.asp?aPage=1

Just for launch we’ll have a 15% off discount, so take advantage of it while you can! The offer is valid for one week!

Furthermore tonight we have the honour of hosting one of the best RTS players in the world streaming the game live on Twitch: TheViper himself! Join us on our Twitch channel at 6 pm CEST / 4 pm GMT!

Let's end by saying that this is just the beginning: we have big plans for the future, including a constant stream of free content and updates that will keep improving the game. This is but the first step on our road, and we're looking forward to hearing what you think.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/530630/Empires_Apart/
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on March 31, 2018, 12:56:17 AM
Empires Apart Latest Version - v1.0.3

Fixed an issue which would cause a desynch in multiplayer matches that involve AI opponents.
• Changed location filtering for Unranked games to show games from more regions.
• Fixed a subtle issue where, with random pick, the player could end up with a wrong Tech Tree selected.
• Challenge 04 with Chinese now correctly starts with an Engineer and a Light Cavalry.
• Fixed an issue in the AI where Light Cavalry would always retreat when in danger.
• Fixed an issue with the spawning of particles upon the destruction of a building.
• Fixed an issue where the French Elite Light Cavalry was also available from Basic Military Development.
• The following changes have been made to Charge:
- Charge damage area has been reduced slightly.
- It is easier to lose momentum when the unit stops or slows down.
- After a Charge Attack, the unit will be staggered for 2 seconds (50% movement speed). This means that now the Cavalry has to commit to a charge and fight afterwards before retreating.
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on April 01, 2018, 02:30:46 PM
Empires Apart Daily Update - March 31st

Hello folks,
I'm bringing you today a daily update on how things are going on our end. It's the easter weekend but we're not slowing down, so even without a patch today we're still working and we want to update you on what's coming:

PERFORMANCE
We're preparing an experimental build for tomorrow which will be available in a public beta branch. This build should bring a number of performance improvements and is particularly targeted to those who have good CPUs but are experiencing issues even on small maps/2 players. We're gonna expose some values you'll be able to tweaks in config files and see if the situation gets better. If the build proves to be stable we're gonna push it to the main branch early next week.

BALANCING
We're looking into the French light cavalry situation and we're considering patching it as soon as tomorrow. Let us know if there's any other area that you feel needs to be addressed.

COMMUNITY FEATURES
There is now a button to access leaderboards from the game and we're working to improve our discord server so it's easier to find matches and discuss the game over there. This should take us a couple of days as it's secondary to the development of the rest of the features.

Other things we're looking into are improvements to the AI, Quality of Life Improvements and solving the rare crashes we have.

Thank you for reading, I plan to keep posting updates every day. In the meantime we try to be active on Discord and over here answering as many questions as we can.

Cheers,
Gian Paolo
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on April 02, 2018, 03:01:43 PM
Experimental Performance Improvements Available
Empires Apart - DESTINYbit

Hello folks,
as promised today we are pushing to the Performance branch an experimental build with a first round of performance improvements. Keep in mind that this build could be unstable and should not be used to play Ranked matches.

For instructions on how to switch to the Performance branch click here.

We worked to greatly improve the performance particularly on large maps and with a lot of entities (eg. Winterwald), especially on the pathfinding. Please give us some feedback as to how this version is performing.

This is only the first batch as we have more performance improvements planned, including to the AI.

We also included a couple of settings that you can tweak in the INIs directed at those who have AMD processors or in general CPUs who by all means should be performing well but are struggling even in 1v1. Our intention is to work with some of you to find what the best solution is. If you had performance issues in the past with AMD processors or have experienced performance anomalies in 1v1 on a small map, please leave a comment below and we'll reach out to you tomorrow or in the near future.

Further instructions on how to use these settings or how to help us with logs will come tomorrow.

Thank you very much for your patience.

Happy easter,
Gian Paolo
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on April 02, 2018, 03:04:56 PM
Empires Apart v.1.0.4 is out!
Empires Apart - DESTINYbit

- Charge has been removed from the French Light Cavalry Line.
- Minor fixes.

This is the same version as the one that was in the BETA branch. If you are in the Beta branch we encourage you to Opt Out and go back to the default branch.
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on April 03, 2018, 03:07:45 PM
Matrix/Slitherine is streaming this today @16:00GMT

http://twitch.tv/slitherinegroup
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on April 05, 2018, 03:27:53 PM
Patch 1.1.3 is out - Performance AI Improvements
Empires Apart - DESTINYbit

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/30231655/abcdcf5f074671e55c91a4914db8961ec8935b42.jpg)

Hello folks, during the past week we worked night and day to improve the game and address all the concerns. Today’s patch brings a huge improvement to performance and lots of improvements on AI. This is just the beginning as we’re gonna release even more improvements in the next days as well as the first wave of free content. The Empires Apart community is growing every day and we encourage you to join us on Discord here: https://discord.gg/bRDxPr7

•   Greatly improved the performance of the game particularly regarding the Pathfinding, unit management, large maps and AI.
This should result in a nice boost in performance in team games and large maps.
•   Changed the way we handled multiple threads to be CPU specific. This will hopefully mean that AMD users with good CPUs should now experience better performance.
•   Many improvements to the AI behaviour. Now the AI favours enemies that have nearby bases (of the bases it knows). Is better at defending against attacks and commits more when on the offensive. This is an ongoing process and we expect to make the AI even better in the upcoming patches.
•   Fixes to some issues with networking. This should result in less connectivity issues when trying to join games.
•   Fixed Saladin movement speed (now 370).
•   Fixed Arab’s Mangonel damage (now 40).
•   Fixed Yue Fei’s passive ability. Now correctly spawns full health.
•   Fixed some wrong voicelines on Trebuchets.
•   Fixed some wrong tooltips.
•   Fixed an issue where non-host players would get a wrong APM counter in the post-game stats.
•   Added a check for ownership when accessing multiplayer to hinder smurfing.

Notes:
•   Performance on the AI could be improved a lot further. This is a first optimization pass and we’re gonna keep working to improve things.
•   As performance get better we’re gonna move to stability improvements, particularly to address crashes and resync issues. On the latter, we’re already preparing a new patch which should address many issues.
•   We’re working night and day to make the game better. To interact with us, we encourage you to use Discord: https://discord.gg/bRDxPr7

Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on April 07, 2018, 12:26:34 AM
Watch the Resonance22 Video


Empires Apart is a Real-Time Strategy game which has something for everyone. With 6 completely unique civilizations, each with a radically different playstyle, it has enough variety to just keep you playing.

In order to best showcase the variety of Empires Apart's civilizations we teamed up with a famous RTS player, Resonance22. Resonance started making some videos about the game's factions, displaying their unique mechanics and talking at length about their strengths & weaknesses as well as their heroes.

It is a great way to learn the basics of each civ, but also to learn some very useful tactics and tips from a real expert.

Byzantines Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ-b0qY75-o)

French Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPqhZo1taZs)

Arabs Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTAYxo75rYY)

Since it was first launched, plenty of people picked up the challenge and started competing online to climb the Leaderboard (http://www.slitherine.com/leaderboards/ea_leaderboard.asp?aPage=1)... right now Khas is leading but with the knowledge contained in the videos that might be you!

Furthermore, we have been making a Wiki for the game with the help of the guys from Gamepedia! Visit it here (https://empiresapart.gamepedia.com/Empires_Apart_Wiki) and feel free to contribute by filling it with all sorts of information about the game. We need your help to complete the wiki, so if you feel like filling those pages, don't hesitate.

The Developers from DESTINYbit studio are hard at work but the results are evident (https://steamcommunity.com/games/530630/announcements/detail/1671274008620525959), the game just keeps improving. Stay tuned, for we only just started. We have big plans for Empires Apart, and it'll be a fun ride for everyone involved.
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on April 11, 2018, 05:37:11 PM
Patch 1.1.6 is LIVE - Several AI Improvements, Input Lag Normalization & More

Hello folks, over the past two days we worked on refining the AI improvements that went live to the beta branch on Monday. The AI now is much better at attacking and picking its targets and overall should represent a big improvement from 1.1.4. We also normalized the input lag on multiplayer matches for the Host, eliminating host advantage. Gengis Khan received a nerf to slow down Mongol's Khan Rush. This is a temporary fix as mongols will receive some more changes soon. Don’t forget that you can find people to play with on Discord.

The Empires Apart community is growing every day and we encourage you to join us on Discord here: https://discord.gg/bRDxPr7

1.1.6 Patch Notes
•   Greatly improved the AI attack logic. This should fix indecisevness by the AI and units canceling their attacks.
•   Fixed an issue with villagers getting stuck building diagonal walls.
•   Fixed a bug where Pings wouldn’t work in certain game modes.
•   Fixed some issues with Merchants including an exploit with two adjacent markets.
•   Fixed a bug that would allow the creation of heroes on Assassination.
•   Fixed a potential desync with Zhuge Liang.

1.1.5 Patch Notes
•   Fixed an issue on Water Maps where the AI would get stuck in its build early on
•   Fixed some sources of the AI getting stuck.
•   Improved the AI build order.
•   Improved the AI target selection.
•   Several other improvements to the AI logic and build order.
•   Added a Cheating AI that gets extra resources.
•   Normalized the input delay between host and clients. Now everybody will experience the same delay.
•   Further increased the performance on the pathfinding.
•   Increased Gengis Khan cost to 500f 400g (from 300f 250g). Decreased Gengis Khan armor to 2/5 from 3/6.
Decreased Gengis Khan health to 160 from 200.
•   Fixed some issues on the pathfinding.
•   Fixed an issue with team selection in open lobbies.
•   Fixed some potential source of crashes.
•   Fixed several potential source of desyncs.
•   Several minor fixes.

Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on April 13, 2018, 12:47:27 AM
1.1.7 Patch Notes

•   Improved the behavior late game of the AI. It’s less likely that the AI will get stuck lategame due to the lack of resources.
•   Fixed a possible exploit with Mangonels.
•   Fixed a freeze in spectator mode.

Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on April 27, 2018, 04:03:07 PM
Patch 1.2.1 is LIVE in the BETA branch - Performance Improvements, lobby distance filter, camera speed increased

Hello folks, sorry this patch took so long but features started to accumulate and we required some extra bugfixing and testing. This build mainly brings fixes to 1.2.0 as well as a lot of improvements under the hood to performance, especially for the fog of war. The
Empires Apart community is growing every day and we encourage you to join us on Discord here: https://discord.gg/bRDxPr7

This build is currently available in the BETA branch of the game.

To learn how to access other branches, click here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/530630/discussions/0/1697169163410005491/

•   Severely improved the performance of the Fog of War.
•   Further increased performance with large amounts of units.
•   Slightly increased pathfinding performance.
•   Fixed a very rare pathfinding bug.
•   Fixed an issue from 1.2.0 with player color in Skirmish Mode.
•   Fixed an issue from 1.2.0 where a player would have 2 million resources when repairing.
•   Fixed an issue with dead bodies not disappearing.
•   Doubled camera max speed.
•   Added lobby distance filtering.

Note: there is a known issue with arab's heavy cav that may spawn low HP, it will be fixed for the patch rollout on main branch

Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on April 27, 2018, 04:04:15 PM
Patch 1.2.2 is LIVE - New Map, Performance Improvements, Color Picking & more!

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/30231655/e1778ecbe5f30dfc2d2fcd8b2fc91100be1b983d.jpg)

Hey folks,
today we are releasing 1.2.2 into the main branch of Steam. This should bring a number of performance updates as well as a new map, color picking and more. This patch has been live a few times, and for a few days, in the BETA branch of Steam so it should be now good to go. Please remember that the fastest way to reach us and find multiplayer matches is through Discord here: https://discord.gg/bRDxPr7

1.2.2 Patch Notes
•   Fixed an issue which would make units spawn with very low health.

1.2.1 Patch Notes
•   Severely improved the performance of the Fog of War.
•   Further increased performance with large amounts of units.
•   Slightly increased pathfinding performance.
•   Fixed a very rare pathfinding bug.
•   Fixed an issue from 1.2.0 with player color in Skirmish Mode.
•   Fixed an issue from 1.2.0 where a player would have 2 million resources when repairing.
•   Fixed an issue with dead bodies not disappearing.
•   Fixed some issues with assassination mode.
•   Doubled camera max speed.
•   Added lobby distance filtering.

1.2.0 Patch Notes
•   NEW MAP: Solitude. Currently enabled in Skirmish and Normals. We’re looking to make it available for Ranked soon so let us know what you think!
•   1 vs 1 has a slightly different spectator UI which is more readable and has larger icons.
•   Added color selection for Skirmish and Normals. Now every player will have a different color.
•   Fixed some potential crash sources.
•   Increased pathfinding performance.
•   General performance improvements on attributes.
•   Performance improvements on AI.
•   Fixed an issue where the AI could get stuck if it lost the majority of its villagers.
•   Fixed several potential desync and resync issues.

Thank you for the patience. Our focus is now set on pathfinding issues as well as new features and content.

Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on May 25, 2018, 07:35:38 PM
Patch 1.3.1 is out - Pathfinding Performance Improvements
Empires Apart - DESTINYbit


Hello folks, for this patch we focused our efforts on performance and pathfinding. We fundamentally changed our pathfinding algorithm to address the issues it had on certain specific cases. On performance, we’re aggressively tackling every bottleneck and we’ve been able to improve the situation dramatically across the board. Even more performance improvements are on the horizon though, particularly to AI. We’re also working on an all new AI rewritten from the ground up to be smarter and more versatile. The Empires

Apart community is growing every day and we encourage you to join us on Discord here: https://discord.gg/bRDxPr7

•   Severely improved performance on Fog of War, large amount of entities, villagers and more.
•   Reworked Game Modes. This should prevent any issue with game end and victory conditions.
•   Minor improvements to AI.
•   Minor fixes.


v1.3.0

•   A brand new pathfinding algorithm has been introduced. This will work in conjunction with the existing pathfinding and will ensure that units can correctly find a route through long distances and around big obstacles (eg. The lake in Mare Nostrum). This should fix all the major pathfinding issues that were reported on Winterwald and Mare Nostrum.

•   Fixed an issue that would introduce an unnecessarily high amount of input delay, even on singleplayer.
•   Added “favourite player color” option in the game options.
•   Fixed several issues with Diplomacy and Assassination.
•   Fixed missing hotkey for capture Stance.
•   Fixed an issue with the healthbar of siege tents.
•   Fixed various potential issues with hotkeys.
•   Fixed various issues with merchants.
•   Fixed an issue with the speed of the Boar.
•   Fixed various potential issues with timers, victories and endgame conditions of Game Modes.
•   Slightly improved performance of units, buildings and resources.

Please note: There is a bug where in ranked matches the rank screen doesn't get displayed at the end of the match. Points are still being calculated and updated. We will fix this in a patch early next week.

Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on July 08, 2018, 04:51:15 PM
Development update & what we're working on
4 July - DESTINYbit

Hello folks,
first of all, we'd like to apologize for missing some of the messages that have been posted here. We're hard at work on Empires Apart: development is still going strong and since 1.3.1 we have built quite a significant amount of improvements. Here's what we've been working on and what you can look forward to in the near future:

Crashes
This is obviously the number one concern of ours and we understand the frustration that crashes bring. We've been working hard for quite a while now with the help of Epic to find the source of our crashes. They're seemingly random and inconsistent, which makes them very hard to track down. This is our primary focus, we're making progress and we hope that the next patch will improve the situation.

Desyncs
It appears that a new source of Desync has arisen. We're investigating it and we hope to fix it in the next patch.

Performance
1.3.1 brought huge performance improvements to the game but there's a lot more coming. We worked a lot to improve on the performance of our next biggest bottleneck: the AI. Many areas of the AI have seen huge improvements in terms of performance and in the next patch, playing against multiple opponents will be easier. The general performance of the game is also constantly being worked on and there are some improvements coming on that front as well.

AI
We wanted to reveal this at a later date but I guess it's better to let the cat out of the bag. There's a new A.I. coming, codename "Agatha". Agatha has been built from the ground up to be more fun, more smart and to be capable to play all the current game modes and upcoming ones.
Agatha has tremendous variability in her builds, going for different strategies at different times, helps allies, responds to pings, trades, buys and sells resources at the market, can form alliances and much more. We're putting the final touches to Agatha and we won't be satisfied until it can comfortably, consistently beat the current AI. We might release Agatha in a beta state in the near future.

Multiplayer
We're working to make the unranked multiplayer experience more streamlined, so it's easier for everybody to find matches. There's some big improvements coming on this front that we can't talk about at this moment but do know that we're looking at ways to make the game more accessible and more streamlined on the multiplayer front.

New gamemodes
We have some new gamemodes coming. We don't want to announce anything yet but we're looking to add more "fun" modes to the game.

Minor features
We also have some minor features coming including, but not limited to:
•   Control groups are stored and retained through savegames and resyncs
•   We now display how many villagers are working on each resource.

Other minor issues
Various minor issues have been solved during the past few weeks including, but not limited to:
•   Issues with Merchants
•   Issues with Mongol settlers.
•   Missing Hotkeys
•   Cooldowns on some active abilities
•   Tower upgrades
•   Fog of War Issues
•   Visual bugs on villagers and units

Overall, there's a lot to look forward to in the next patch and beyond. We're working hard to make Empires Apart better and even if today I listed a lot of stuff that is coming, that is not all. We hope to share even more news about the future of Empires Apart soon. Stay tuned.

Thank you all,
Gian Paolo

Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on July 13, 2018, 05:48:48 PM
Patch 1.4.0 is LIVE - Stability performance improvements many fixes
Empires Apart - DESTINYbit

Hello folks, for this patch we focused our efforts on stability and performance, particularly of the AI. We fixed tons of small bugs here and there and we’re laying the foundations for what’s coming in the future of Empires Apart: from a brand new AI to new

Gamemodes and more. The Empires Apart community is growing every day and we encourage you to join us on Discord here: https://discord.gg/bRDxPr7

•   Greatly improved stability. This means that in general far less Fatal Errors should pop up. We’re continuing our work to ensure that the game is more and more stable.
•   Solved a couple of potential desyncs.
•   Vastly improved performance of AI. As a result, singleplayer games should feel way smoother.
•   Improved the general performance of the game particularly of fog of war and projectiles.
•   Slightly improved the logic of the current AI.
•   Control Groups are now stored in savegames and will carry through a resync.
•   Added villager count for each resource.
•   Fixed various issues with Merchants.
•   Fixed an issue with the Mongol Settler where construction yards would disappear when placed in the grey Fog of War.
•   Fixed various issues with cooldowns on some Active Abilities.
•   Fixed some issues with Tower upgrades.
•   Fixed various issues with the Fog of War.
•   Fixed some visual bugs on villagers and units.
•   Fixed an issue with garrisoning on spawn.
•   Fixed some issues with missing hotkeys.
•   Fixed some issues with the spectator UI.
•   Minor fixes.

Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on July 23, 2018, 06:31:35 PM
Patch 1.4.1 is LIVE - Stability improvements
Hello folks,

we just put out a patch that should further improve the stability of the game. This should mean less FATAL ERRORs. We ran games lasting several hours without crashes. Please let us know if you're still experiencing issues.

We're aware of a potential crash on Islands when playing vs the AI which we will fix with another patch very soon. In the meantime we hope to have improved the overall stability for everybody.
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on October 17, 2018, 12:11:50 AM
Empires Apart goes Free-to-Play!

(http://slitherine.com/files/spotlight/1235_image.jpg)

There are some big news for all Empires Apart players: today Empires Apart goes Free-to-Play!

We are changing the format to make the game accessible for free to everyone. Anyone can go to Steam, download the game and play it at absolutely no cost. You will have access to all game modes and you'll be able to play with the Byzantines civilization.

What does it mean for all those who had bought the game? You are not going to lose anything, and you're getting more than the value of your money back. You will be considered a Founder and you'll get immediate access to all the original civilizations plus access to exclusive content in the future.

The other civilizations are being repackaged as DLCs. You will be able to play against them with the F2P version and even to try them briefly with the new test scenarios, but you will need to buy the DLCs if you intend to play as the Mongols, the Chinese, the Arabs, the French, the Aztecs and the Koreans!

If you would like to have more information on how the Free-to-Play system works please read the FAQ (https://steamcommunity.com/app/530630/discussions/0/3145094199309119207/) we've published.

Watch the trailer!

https://youtu.be/VWlfyDYyq3w


What, wait a seconds, did you say Koreans? Yes, there is a new playable civilization!

Now you will be able to buy the Korean Civilization Pack and lead the brand new faction in battle.

The Koreans are a ranged-focused civilization which can make use of the powerful Hwacha for devastating firepower. Their Nobles provide a unique mechanic, boosting the area around them and improving your economic development.


We have completely revamped the in-game menus, and brought in a massive number of improvements: new AI, a new map, and countless gameplay and UI improvements! We are also resetting the Ranking, so everyone gets a fair chance to start this new Ranked season on equal terms.

Last but not least, don’t forget to tune in for today’s developer stream live on Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup) at 8.30 pm BST!

This is the start of a new exciting path for Empires Apart. We can’t wait to see you all in game!
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on October 17, 2018, 03:44:20 PM
Empires Apart - Korean Civilization Pack

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/912834/header.jpg?t=1539707381)


 Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/912834/Empires_Apart__Korean_Civilization_Pack/)

ABOUT THIS CONTENT

The Noblemen of Korea lead the offensive! Play as the magnificent Koreans - an advanced civilization that focuses on gunpowder units and economy management.

Use Nobles to aid in your economic and militaristic expansion. Archers and Hand Cannoneers provide strong firepower and the formidable Hwacha ensures total dominance in ranged combat. Mortars grant mobility and deadly siege capabilities. The elite Hwarang are a deadly combination of light cavalry and archers. Monks can heal allied units when in group. Swordsmen and Spearmen complete an incredibly powerful army.

• Play as the Koreans in every Singleplayer and Multiplayer mode.
• Unique Nobles, Hwacha, Hwoarang and Channelling mechanics.
• 6 unique Challenges.
• 21 buildings, 29 units.
• 2 heroes: Eulji Mundeok and Sejong the Great.

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/912834/ss_7ca0a633f9cda174a0305d312e2761d062fbe411.1920x1080.jpg?t=1539707381)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/912834/ss_c3f1a79707048c861949adbfe74f4b2d5352eea0.1920x1080.jpg?t=1539707381)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/912834/ss_518c372c0d9f6a39b737395f46f9060fb86b112e.1920x1080.jpg?t=1539707381)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/912834/ss_a705240529162b531666012c79fb027aa705802d.1920x1080.jpg?t=1539707381)

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/912834/ss_9ad98adc19136c33694a09a3b4da6fa87b638da1.1920x1080.jpg?t=1539707381)
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on October 20, 2018, 02:40:11 PM
Empires Apart - v2.1.2 Update
We are releasing a small update containing very few fixes for Empires Apart.


Changelog v2.1.2 – October 18, 2018

• Fixed an issue with merchants not completing the trade cycle.
• Fixed an issue with units attacking from the fog of war without being exposed.
• Fixed an issue with wall and gate placers.
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on October 24, 2018, 01:30:24 PM
Open Beta - Version 2.1.3
Hi guys,

We are alsmost ready to push out another patch, but before launching it officially we would like your feedback. This relatively small patch should address some issues with the AI being passive, as well as a specific desync.

Please give it a try and let us know if you encounter any issues.

Many thanks in advance :spacepony:

- Surtur

Chengelog:

- Fixed a potential desync when units where kicked out a construction yard.
- Fixed an issue with Koreans Agatha AI not attacking.
- Fixed an issue with Agatha AI sometimes slowing down or getting stuck when waiting for a building to be completed. Fixed a small issue with
- Koreans Cavalry Upgrades.
Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on October 27, 2018, 12:21:51 PM
v.2.1.4 is Live! Banners Halloween!
Empires Apart - DESTINYbit

(https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/30231655/a4a6866683e47f2e86ff7c3eccaf51570229bbe5.jpg)

Hello folks!
After a brief period in public beta Empires Apart 2.1.4 is now live for everybody!

Here's a list of the changes:
•   Banners are now available! Show your might by building a Banner on the Battlefield!
•   Fixed an issue with Market Buy/Selling which could result in “ghost” resources being showed.
•   Seasonal Decorations are now available. Until October 31st all the Berries in the game are Pumpkins!
•   Fixed hotkey for Byzantine Elite Archer being missing.
•   Fixed an issue with some French technologies not being researchable.

v.2.1.3 changelog
•   Fixed a potential desync when units where kicked out a construction yard.
•   Fixed an issue with Koreans Agatha AI not attacking.
•   Fixed an issue with Agatha AI sometimes slowing down or getting stuck when waiting for a building to be completed.
•   Fixed a small issue with Koreans Cavalry Upgrades.

Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on October 31, 2018, 02:25:30 PM
Empires Apart v.2.1.6 is in Public Beta! Avatars & Roman Items!
31/Oct

Hello folks,
we have a brand new patch available in Public Beta and it's quite beefy. We made some improvements to the pathfinding and the game should feel much smoother now. We're still investigating some problems related to units getting stuck but overall the situation should have been improved a lot. We also have a first wave of cosmetic items coming later this week and avatars are now available!

•   The first cosmetic items for the Byzantines are in-game and will be made available for purchase in a few days.
•   We now support in-game Avatars! Several base avatars are available and there are two Founders Exclusive avatars.
•   Enlarged hitboxes on military units and villagers.
•   Improved the informations displayed for items, including which Items are coming soon and which items are Founders Exclusives.
•   Fixed a fundamental pathfinding issue that would result in units stuttering in many cases. Overall, pathing should feel much smoother. Let us know what you think.
•   Fixed a potential pathfinding issue with gates.
•   Fixed some potential desyncs related to Korean Nobles.
•   Fixed a resync issue with walls.
•   Fixed a potential desync on game start.
•   Fixed a crash with Sejong the Great.
•   Fixed Gengis Khan & Saladin stats.

Title: Re: Empires Apart
Post by: Asid on November 01, 2018, 02:58:39 PM
Empires Apart v.2.1.6 is now Live!

(https://images-ext-2.discordapp.net/external/4MWWRRwtv_MSYCQFWYa8vdZ5oyCSSZgX7c4HRsjRQmA/%3Ft%3D1541075490/https/steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/530630/header.jpg?width=400&height=187)

Hi all,

We just switched 2.1.6 to the default branch and it's quite beefy. We made some improvements to the pathfinding and the game should feel much smoother now. We're still investigating some problems related to units getting stuck but overall the situation should have been improved a lot.

We also have a first wave of cosmetic items available! With this set, players can customize their Byzantine units, and give them a classical Roman theme! And that is not all, the entire set of the Roman skins is free for all founders!. So founders should not be buying this item.

The items can be purchased here:  https://store.steampowered.com/itemstore/530630/browse/?filter=all

•   The first cosmetic items for the Byzantines are in-game and have been made available for purchase (free for founders!)

Byzantine Roman Crate
(https://steamcommunity-a.akamaihd.net/economy/image/xRBlz3PV8ovYmVVF8MRXQPqx8zFxUIUntIkkiubBZHp8nmy7N7afjO2RFFPMkY5ezj1joBIyrvYTNZvBxOLJgnY/512fx512f)

•   We now support in-game Avatars! Several base avatars are available and there are two Founders Exclusive avatars.
•   Enlarged hitboxes on military units and villagers.
•   Improved the informations displayed for items, including which Items are coming soon and which items are Founders Exclusives.
•   Fixed a fundamental pathfinding issue that would result in units stuttering in many cases. Overall, pathing should feel much smoother. Let us know what you think.
•   Fixed a potential pathfinding issue with gates.
•   Fixed some potential desyncs related to Korean Nobles.
•   Fixed a resync issue with walls.
•   Fixed a potential desync on game start.
•   Fixed a crash with Sejong the Great.
•   Fixed Gengis Khan & Saladin stats.